


A Painting Lesson

by StarsEncrusted



Series: Nightmare after-stories [1]
Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:34:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26629096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarsEncrusted/pseuds/StarsEncrusted
Summary: Nightmare after-story. Inspired by the Devilgram "About the Human World."
Series: Nightmare after-stories [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1997908
Comments: 6
Kudos: 46





	A Painting Lesson

The meeting starts off smoothly enough. Diavolo sits on a chair, and Decimus begins to paint Diavolo's portrait.

As expected, Decimus does not intend to talk. He doesn't even look at Diavolo. He seems determined to ignore Diavolo's presence entirely. And that, the way I see it, is the biggest problem we're facing right now.

Diavolo is silent too. He appears relaxed and content. Perhaps he is biding his time.

Meanwhile, I am hovering at Decimus' shoulder, commenting on his work.

MC: Incredible. I couldn't watch you work last time, because I was the model, but you're really fast, and everything is super accurate.

MC: A painting is really different from a photo. Somehow, a portrait is more vivid and intense.

MC: It's like magic. Even though it's not finished yet, you've already captured Diavolo's stunning presence perfectly.

Decimus: ...

MC: Except for his eyes. You've got the color of his eyes wrong.

Instinctively, Decimus looks up, and meets Diavolo's eyes.

Instantly, he realizes that I've tricked him. With a scowl, Decimus looks away from Diavolo.

Decimus: No, I didn't.

MC: But have you noticed the pattern on his collar?

Decimus: Yes, I have.

MC: Are you **sure** you've noticed?

MC: Mephistopheles spent a lot of time and effort on embroidering those patterns. If he knew that you didn't even give them a passing glance, I think he might cry.

I brought up the subject of Mephistopheles deliberately, in hopes of using him as a conversation topic, and then pulling Diavolo into the conversation as well.

But Decimus doesn't bite the bait.

Decimus: I have seen everything I need to see for the painting. From now on, I can easily paint Diavolo's portrait from memory.

Decimus: I don't need to look at him at all.

That doesn't sound good.

However, I recall how Decimus wanted a recent picture of Diavolo, even though Diavolo really didn't change that much. It would seem that having the most up-to-date information is important to Decimus in his work.

I could use that.

MC: But what if something **changes** about Diavolo in the process of your painting?

MC: Wouldn't it be a shame if you **miss the moment of the change**?

Decimus' brush pauses for a split second.

Decimus: A change? Here, in the heart of my domain?

Decimus: No. Unless I will it, **nothing will change**.

I scrutinize Decimus for a long moment. He seems pretty calm, he's just acting willful.

How do I convince him to look at Diavolo?

Should I resort to using seduction?

I am pretty bad at that. But Decimus is also quite bad at dealing with that sort of thing. I wonder which would win?

All right, I'm going to try something very irritating from Asmo's arsenal.

I lean close to Decimus, and murmur right into his ear.

MC: By the way, what do you think about Diavolo's —

Decimus: Here!

With a gesture, Decimus conjures up a second easel, and he motions at it.

Decimus: Why don't you paint something too?

MC: Huh? Me, paint?

MC: I can't. I don't know how to do it.

Decimus: You have a fine eye for detail. I think you'd be good at it. Are you interested in art?

MC: I admit I am a little interested...

Decimus: I'll give you a painting lesson. **Right now**.

Decimus: I will be your instructor, and I will answer any questions you might have.

I glance at the easel. It does seem like fun, but why would he suddenly bring it up **now**?

Decimus, you're just trying to distract me!

Decimus: Just paint a line or two. Give it a try.

Well, as long as it's quick...

Decimus hands me a brush, and I grasp it in my hand stiffly.

Am I holding it wrong? It feels like I'm holding it wrong. Should I hold it like a pencil, or like a dagger?

Decimus does not comment on my brush holding technique, so I relax a little.

After a moment of hesitation, I dip the brush into the green paint.

Okay, now that I've managed to get that done, let's just...draw a circle.

Carefully, I bring the brush over until it's about to touch the canvas.

_Remember the third rule._

My hand spasms.

The brush punctures through the canvas, leaving an unsightly splash of green.

MC: !

Decimus: ...

A shock travels through my whole body. I feel an echo of pain, like a memory not quite grasped.

The third rule...

I try to recall it, and abruptly, it comes to me.

_You are not allowed to use your magic._

I stare at the ruined canvas in front of me, and I can feel Decimus' gaze on me.

What's that? I can't use magic?

But I've used magic before. Many times. I have no problem with using magic.

_As long as it's not mine. As long as it's borrowed._

Anyway, painting has nothing to do with magic!

I let out a nervous laugh, my hand clutched around the brush.

MC: That was a bad idea. I shouldn't have even tried.

Decimus examines me for several long moments, before he finally speaks.

Decimus: Do it again.

MC: No. I don't want to do any more damage.

Decimus: There is no damage. This is just a canvas.

He waves his hand, and the torn canvas is restored back to its intact shape.

MC: ...

He's right. Nothing's happened. There's...no harm.

Decimus: Drop the brush and paint with your fingers.

MC: You can do that...?

Decimus: Certainly. Finger painting can also be considered a technique.

With some effort, I unclench my fingers and drop the brush. Instantly, I feel better.

MC: So...like...this?

Decimus: Don't think, just do it.

Decimus takes hold of my wrist, and he dips my whole stiff hand into the green paint.

Once again, I bring my hand to the canvas, and this time, I manage to transfer the paint to it without an incident.

MC: !

Encouraged by this development, I add more green to the canvas, until I have a sufficiently large green patch.

Nice, this has started to look like a green field! The sight of it cheers me up.

MC: Decimus, how do I get sapphire color?

Decimus: Try mixing several colors together.

Let's see.

Perhaps there is a special instrument or technique to mix colors, but Decimus seems to be doing it right on the canvas, simply by adding one color on top of another, and I attempt to imitate his method as well.

After messing with the paint for a bit, I finally end up with the sapphire color I've been trying to achieve.

I paint three sapphire lines spreading from a single spot, rising above the patch of green.

MC: Okay, I'm done!

MC: Can you guess what I painted?

Diavolo: That's a portrait of Decimus working on the Pool of Fortune.

MC and Decimus: !

Diavolo: Did I guess it right?

At some unknown moment, Diavolo left his chair, and he came up behind us. Now he's standing near my easel, looking at it with interest.

Decimus: Why are you **here**?

Decimus looks unsettled, perhaps because he didn't notice Diavolo move.

Decimus: The model should be sitting still for his portrait, and not walking around as he pleases.

Diavolo: There is no point for the model to do this, because you're not even looking at him as you paint.

Diavolo: Since you're painting from memory, there is no need for me to sit still.

Decimus: ...

Diavolo got him there.

MC: How could you possibly guess what I've been trying to paint?

It's unnerving. How did he accurately infer all of that from three lines, and a patch of green?

Maybe Diavolo can actually read minds?

Diavolo: I take it my guess was correct?

MC: Yes, but **how** —?

Decimus speaks before Diavolo can reply.

Decimus: It's easy.

Decimus: This shade of sapphire matches my color of Prime exactly, and the Prime threads do spread like that when you work on a large-scale forging.

Decimus: An observer, watching from a distance, would see those three threads, rising up and coiling over the green field.

Decimus: As for how Diavolo learned about my work on the Pool of Fortune...

Decimus: The two of you must have passed through the field of consecration on the way here. Doubtless it came up in conversation.

Diavolo: Very astute, as expected.

Decimus shoots Diavolo a brief but piercing glower.

Decimus: The **model** should return to his seat.

Diavolo: I want to have a painting lesson, too.

Diavolo: I am interested in the art, and this is a great opportunity to learn directly from the master.

Decimus: I don't think —

MC: It'll be fine, nothing to worry about! A painting lesson is not a competitive activity. Let Diavolo paint something too.

MC: I want to see his painting. It'd be fun.

Decimus glances between the two of us.

Decimus: ...Do as you like.

Decimus: But I'm not giving him an easel.

Stingy.

MC: We can share this one.

Diavolo: You don't mind?

MC: Of course not. Do you want to change the canvas?

Diavolo: No, I like this green field.

I step aside, to make space for Diavolo, and he moves closer to the easel.

Demo hops after him, following him at his heels, its ears straight up, its nose wiggling, and it looks up seriously at the easel.

It looks like the Infernal rabbit has become attached to Diavolo.

Before long, Diavolo mixes a shade of blue, and he's started to paint a figure.

MC: ...

There's no need to guess who it is. I can tell right away.

It's Lucifer.

For someone who apparently has no experience in painting, Diavolo is quite good. Lucifer's shape is clumsy, but instantly recognizable. It's just...

There is something **wrong** with it.

Just as I am thinking that, Diavolo stops. He attempts to resume his work several times, but seems unable to continue.

Diavolo: It's not quite right.

He stares at the canvas, frowning.

Diavolo: I am doing something wrong, but I can't tell what it is.

Come on. He **really** can't tell?

Suddenly, Diavolo turns to face me.

MC: !

Too close!

Reflexively, I take a step back.

Diavolo: Can you see what the problem is?

MC: ...Yeah.

I am forced to admit that I see it. Frankly, anyone would be able to see it.

Diavolo: What is it?

I shoot Decimus a hopeful glance, which he pretends not to notice.

It looks like I'll have to be the one to say it...

MC: You haven't decided whether to portray Lucifer as a demon or as an angel.

Diavolo: !

Diavolo: Why do you say that?

Diavolo sounds alarmed and dismayed. This is why I didn't want to say anything...

MC: Look, you gave him six wings. But he actually has four.

Diavolo: Oh! I didn't even notice.

MC: And although you gave him horns, and his eyes are red, why are his wings blue?

Diavolo: That's because...

Diavolo: He used to have wings of this color. Once, before.

Diavolo's expression darkens.

Diavolo: I'd like to finish this painting, but I don't know how.

Well, the problem is obviously not Diavolo's artistic skills. It's his mindset.

He is, I think, worried about Lucifer's loyalties.

MC: ...

I really don't think that Diavolo has anything to worry about where Lucifer is concerned. Still, I am only a human, an unrelated entity, as I've been reminded before, so I doubt my opinion would carry any weight. On the other hand, a demon...

MC: Personally, I don't think Lucifer is very angelic.

MC: What do you think, Decimus?

Decimus: !

Decimus seems reluctant to be pulled into the conversation. Still, I know he won't be able to resist the chance to disparage a former angel.

MC: Among all the Council members, which one do you think is the most angelic?

There's no way he hasn't thought about **that**.

Decimus: Sloth.

That was a fast reply. He didn't even have to pause to think.

Decimus: At a glance, I have determined him as the biggest threat. He is disloyal.

Even though Decimus says that, his tone doesn't sound very concerned. In fact, he sounds indifferent.

Decimus: Sloth still misses the Celestial Realm. All of his best memories are back there. He'd give anything to turn time back.

Decimus: For the right price, he would betray all his brothers, and he'd sacrifice the three realms, too.

Not **all** of his brothers, I'm sure. There's still Beel.

MC: You don't sound very worried about that.

Decimus: Sloth is weak. If he becomes an issue, I would kill him myself, and send him back to the Celestial Realm to be judged.

Decimus smiles suddenly. It's a vicious smile.

Decimus: The Lord of Heaven is neither forgiving nor merciful.

MC: ...What about Mammon?

Decimus: He is not a concern.

Decimus: Greed was only too happy to shake off his angelic responsibilities. And he is on bad terms with all angels.

Decimus: Even if he wanted to, there's nothing for him to go back to.

MC: What about Lucifer, then?

Decimus: Pride is even less of an issue. He is not wishy-washy about his loyalties.

MC: But he has many Celestial connections still. Isn't that reason enough to distrust him?

Diavolo: ...

Decimus: All former angels are to be distrusted.

Decimus: However, if you tried to drag Pride back to the Celestial Realm, by playing on his affiliations or messing with his bonds, he would resist every step of the way. He's made up his mind already.

Decimus: And because he's a competent player, it'd be more trouble than it's worth.

MC: But you could do it, regardless? As the Prince of Lies, surely you could?

Decimus: I could.

Decimus: But I wouldn't. There's nothing for me to gain from doing that.

Decimus: Pride's decision is not based on his connections, but on his fundamental disagreement with the Lord of Heaven and the cause he's taken. It's a difference in ideology.

Decimus: There is nothing for us to gain in losing someone like that.

MC: Imagine you're Michael, then. Suppose you want to bring Lucifer back to the Celestial Realm. How would you go about that?

Decimus glances at me, then at Diavolo, who is listening with rapt attention.

Decimus: I would start a war, and kill Pride in battle.

Decimus: Then, once his soul is back in the Celestial Realm, I would imprison it for all eternity.

MC: ...

Diavolo: ...

MC: J-Just now, you sounded exactly like the Demon King.

The Demon King is always talking about starting some war.

Why is Decimus feeling so bloodthirsty today? All of his problem solving methods sound pretty violent.

Decimus: ...Sometimes, the most violent solution is the most efficient one.

Decimus: It's not that Michael can't use more subtle schemes. He has done so, in the past.

Decimus: But he doesn't have a lot of influence here, and all of his agents in the Devildom would be closely monitored. That limits his range of influence, and the methods he might attempt.

Decimus: It's easier to start a war, in such case. He has enough power to pull it off.

Decimus: But Michael won't do it. He has **other** plans.

Abruptly, Decimus gestures at the painting of Lucifer with his brush, without looking at it.

Decimus: You should paint him in motion.

Diavolo: In motion...?

Decimus: That's right. In motion, superficial details are lost. Appearance is no longer important. Only the direction matters — the vector of the force.

Decimus: When an entity is moving at high speed, even the afterglow is difficult to classify as either Celestial or Infernal.

Decimus: That is why —

Decimus pauses for a moment, before resuming.

Decimus: That's why, during the Time of Chaos, we didn't shoot at the quickly moving targets. They're hard to identify. We had to stop them first.

Decimus gestures with his brush again.

Decimus: Don't focus on the details yet. First, decide upon the direction. Do it like the human has done it. Showing the essence only.

Diavolo: !

MC: Yeah, how about painting Lucifer, say, as a comet?

Diavolo: What an excellent idea!

Diavolo: I'm going to paint him as a falling star.

With an expression of renewed concentration, Diavolo returns to mixing up the colors.

But now I also want to paint something, and I reach out towards the color red.

Decimus: Going to paint Luke?

MC: ...Yeah.

Seriously, how does he know?

Decimus: How did the purification go?

MC: Simeon says it was a success. I'd feel better when I see Luke flying, however.

Speaking of Luke... I think this meeting is progressing well enough. It's time for the next stage.

Stealthily, I reach into my pocket and tap on my D.D.D. Then I return my attention to the easel.

I draw red concentric circles over the green field, just as Diavolo draws a downward blue arc.

Our hands meet in the middle.

I suppress my first instinct to withdraw my hand. I have already taken a step back before, and I don't want to appear jumpy.

It's not my style to retreat.

MC: Hey.

MC: Everything from here to here is Luke's territory. I want to paint him flying over the green field.

Diavolo: But I've already started painting Lucifer's descent. The arc needs to continue through here.

Decimus: ...

MC: Lucifer wouldn't mind taking a detour, if it's to avoid interrupting Luke's flying practice!

Diavolo: It's not that simple where inter-realm travel is concerned, and Luke knows it.

Decimus: ...

Diavolo: When you travel from the Celestial Realm to the Devildom, you have to —

At this moment, Decimus reaches his brush over our connected hands, and he touches the green field.

MC and Diavolo: !

Under Decimus' brush, the green field is changing. As though by magic, it is sprouting flowers.

He's altering our painting by making it into a Prime creation!

What amazing flowers. I want to paint Luke watering them.

Before I realize what I'm doing, I move my hand away, towards the prettiest flower.

Diavolo: ...

Decimus: Tsk.

Decimus: The two of you can't even divide a patch of sky between yourselves. Does everything have to be a **competition**?

Hey, I don't want to hear that from you.

Decimus: This is the second time it —

There is a knock on the door.

Decimus: Come in.

The door opens, and Luke flutters in, holding a tray with cookies.

I look up at him. He has bright red wings, the result of his purification. According to Decimus, that's the sum effect of having all Virtues as precisely average, and Mercy below average.

Luke: How about a tea break?

MC: Good idea. I could use a cookie.

Diavolo: Luke, congratulations on your manifestation. Your wings have a beautiful color.

Luke blushes bright red, to match the new color of his wings.

Luke: Thank you. Michael says the color reminds him of Anselm's.

Luke: Michael's always had a high opinion of Anselm, even though they don't often work together.

Decimus: You're content with the result, then?

Decimus is the one who set up the purification facilities for Luke here. That wasn't easy, from what I understand.

Luke: Of course! Red color is the best.

Don't tell me Luke doesn't mind the state of his Virtues, and only cares that his wings are his favorite color?

Well, as long as he's happy, everything's good.

We take our cups. Luke feeds a cookie to Demo, who nuzzles him.

Luke: It's so strange to see an Infernal construct acting like a pet.

Decimus: If you don't want it to curry favor with you, then why do you keep feeding it cookies...?

Luke: That's just to see how it would react —!

Decimus stares at the Infernal rabbit, who is nibbling on a cookie.

Decimus: Demo is supposed to be a weapon of crowd control. Who taught it to act cute?

D-don't look at me...

Diavolo: Acting cute can also be considered a weapon of crowd control.

Decimus glances over at Diavolo.

Decimus: That's...not wrong.

MC: See? It's useful!

Decimus: I didn't say it wasn't...

Decimus picks up a cookie.

Diavolo takes a sip from his cup, and his hand leaves a smudge of paint on his face.

Without thinking, Decimus picks up his brush, and he replicates that smudge of paint on his portrait of Diavolo.


End file.
